The White Library on Del Mar’s Heritage campus is now partially reopened for the Spring 2025 semester. Patrons can access the first, second and third floors while workers complete renovations and furniture placement on the fourth and fifth floors.

The library has been closed for five years, beginning in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and then when renovations began in 2021. The original building was built with two floors in the late 1960s, and three more floors were added in the late 1970s. As the library started to show its age, Del Mar wanted to bring it to the 21st century with all its study needs for students.

After nearly five years, students and staff are anticipating a grand reopening.

“There are still things to be planned and finished so we’re unsure about an exact opening date,” said Dean of Learning Resources Cody Gregg. “While the building will be open for student and faculty use on Jan. 13, College Relations is helping plan some. things and we are looking at sometime during the spring for the grand opening.”

The library’s goal is to modernize and assist students as they need it. “Our services include many book collections for students to check out, research assistants, the Stone Writing Center and the testing center will be moving in along with an IT help desk,” Gregg continued. “Our first floor will serve as a study and break time area for students with comfortable chairs, tables and a cafe with coffee and pre-packaged food.”

The first floor, now named the Duane Sandlin Learning Commons, has group study furniture, comfortable seating, open-access computers, and a relaxed atmosphere. A café is slated to open in the coming months. The second and third floors house student services such as the Stone Writing Center, reference assistance, library classrooms, a large presentation space, and a sculpture gallery, along with study spaces. The IT Help and Testing Center will also be opening in those spaces soon.

The fourth floor houses the book collection and will have open-access computers, a silent reading room, and individual study spaces plus spaces for students and faculty/staff to do audio/video recording. The fifth floor, with its panoramic view of Corpus Christi will have a silent study room, the rest of the library’s book collection, and a variety of individual and technology-equipped group study spaces.

The team putting it all together are prepared for the Del Mar community to feel at home when they visit the library. “We wanted to create a warm, inviting environment for Del Mar,” Gregg said. “Overall, we hope that everyone will feel safe and comfortable when they come in.”

The future still awaits the White Library and its services. “I definitely hope most of all to evolve academic support and needs as they continue to change,” he added.